Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop
by Varmint
Summary: Inspired by the prompt: Customer frequents the café for a quiet place to read and study. Customer is well aware of the very good looking barista behind the counter. Good looking barista is very well aware of equally adorable customer. Barista decides that one day they will spend their break with customer. Queue the coffee scented sexual tension. GerDen! Nordic 5 as family!
1. Chapter 1

Berwald hadn't been crazy when Matthias had told him about his brand new job. And the rest of his ragtag family was a bit unamused with the way that he had (in their eyes) spit in their faces by wasting their money.

"I _told_ you not to study anthropology if you weren't ready for the long road ahead for getting a PhD. Do you actually think that you'll be able to get anywhere in life with just a bachelor's degree?"

Lukas had a right to be angry. Ber and him had been the ones to help him, Tino, and Emil grow up after their parents had died ten years ago. At the young age of twenty and twenty two, they had taken on the job of taking care of their younger brothers to be able to keep them all together and give them the tools for a good life in the future.

Berwald worked at the local Ikea, earning a reasonable salary that allowed him to pay for most of the bills of the house. Lukas, on the other hand, worked as a teacher at the local high school and helped pay for most of the things the younger brothers needed, like food, clothes, and such. Sometimes, if the money these two earned hadn't been enough, Lukas' girlfriend, a kind woman that taught at the preschool level, would help out and give them money.

The five brothers, Irunya Chernenko, and Berwald's boyfriend, who was a surly Brit with an almost irrational love for everything Disney, all lived together in the same house. This meant that everyone knew what was happening in their lives and who was the most disappointing child at the moment.

Even though Lukas and Berwald were only six years older than Matthias, they honestly saw themselves as these great, big adult figures that could never be wrong. In a way, they both took after their father. But Matthias wasn't a wide eyed fourteen year old boy that would do anything to keep them happy anymore. He needed to find his own way in life. With or without his family.

... That sounded so sad...

He loved his family. Really, he did. But he had always been the black sheep. Which was something that literally _no one_ believed until they met the rest of his family.

Sure, he was the one that loved to play sports and hang out. A rather normal, typical way of being when it came to socially _not awkward_ boys. But his family had always been rather introverted and usually chose to keep to themselves. While others were going out on family vacations to Disney World or the beach or someplace fun, his family was dragging him to museums or historical sites to be able to _learn_.

Where his family loved watching documentaries, Matthias loved watching rugby and football. Where his family enjoyed spending a quiet day in to clean and read, Matthias enjoyed going out and partying as if there were no tomorrow. And where his brothers longed for stable careers in professional and respectable settings, Matthias longed for adventure and new experiences.

Tino was the only one that was outgoing like him. But even with his sunny disposition, the younger male could be quiet, shy, and somewhat distrustful of others. Matthias, on the other hand, was always smiling and trusted others much too easily. Unlike the rest of his brothers, he always wanted to make friends and accidentally always became the center of attention wherever he went. It wasn't that he wanted to be looked at all the time, but he was just naturally the kind of person that garnered attention.

When Matthias had told his brothers that he wished to study anthropology, they had been delighted. It was because of this profession that they had the information of the past they wished to know within their reach. For their brother to become one and help in the finding and sorting of forgotten history was something that _all_ of their small family could be proud of.

But Matthias had never truly told them just what he wanted to study. Just anthropology. He hadn't known what kind of field he would specialize in. Or if he even wanted to go into something other than the study of humanity and culture after he'd finished his bachelor's. He hadn't known anything at all. And his brothers had just assumed he knew more than he actually did, for Tino and Emil already knew where they wanted to go and what fields they would specialize in even though they were both just finishing up Secondary School.

Being the middle child was not an easy job...

There was no turning back, though. And he'd made his mind up already. With or without his family's approval, Matthias would take a year off from any kind of education before he returned. He wasn't academically inclined like his brothers and he needed _some kind_ of break before he went insane from the stress that learning brought him.

And this was yet another thing in which he was different. While his brothers were like sponges for quite literally _everything_ , it took Matthias days to truly grasp any given subject. Even history, which was his best class, gave him difficulty if he wasn't feeling up for learning.

He had a job. He liked said job. And it paid him enough to be able to save up enough money to be able to rent his own apartment for at least a year. After a couple of months of working, of course. But he could deal with living with his family for a little bit more. Just until he had enough to not have to go back crawling to them after a few months because his plans hadn't worked out.

For he may be an idiot, but he wasn't a dumbass.

Working at the coffee shop wasn't hard. He just had to smile as he prepared whatever drinks had been ordered. And as long as he didn't mess up too badly, his employer wouldn't ride his ass. Even though he was still a rookie by all accounts, he was trusted almost fully with the second barista position in the shop. His employer was a nice old man that had managed this shop ever since it had opened up some thirty years ago and barely ever got annoyed with any of his employees. The only time Matthias had actually seen him even close to irritated was when his American co-worker, a teenager by the name of Alfred that had moved here two months ago because of confusing reasons he didn't even claim to understand, had insisted on calling football soccer. But that had been it.

He enjoyed working at _Kaffebar_. Even with its simple name that could be easily translated into a non-impressive _Coffee House_ , it was a quaint and relaxing little shop on the corner of a busy street that proved to be a breath of fresh air to all that entered it. And in the hustle and bustle of the city, it was a rather appreciated breath of fresh air.

"Ludwig?" He called once he finished making a simple, barely impressive, black coffee.

His light blue eyes scanned over the barely inhabited coffee shop to try and find the man that fit the name. He imagined it would be someone big and serious, kind of like Berwald. His name sounded like the kind a person like his oldest brother would be. _Serious_.

" _Ja_." He heard from the corner of the shop, making him turn to the area left for computer users.

Most of the shop was dimly lit except for that one area. Because it was used for laptops and reading, it was very brightly lit. But it was also nestled into the very back of the shop to make sure that it didn't disrupt the rest of the atmosphere.

An almost as tall as Berwald blonde male pushed off from the desk he had claimed as his own to walk up to Matthias. And from what the Dane could see, he must have been sitting in that area for a while. Aside from his laptop, there were notes of all kinds scattered all around in a rather chaotic, yet somehow organized looking mess. Which was odd, seeing how this man seemed to be the kind to enjoy order if his pristinely gelled back hair and professionally ironed clothes were anything to go off of.

His face was set in a heavy scowl that would have scared most off. But Matthias had grown up around Berwald's scowl and Lukas' glare. _Nothing_ could scare him.

" _Danke_." He murmured almost breathlessly as he walked up to the counter, which made Matthias smile at him.

He wasn't as tall as Berwald. A few inches shorter, actually. But he was about an inch taller than Matthias. And he seemed somewhat flustered, most probably because he'd been so deep into his studies that he had forgotten he'd ordered a drink.

" _Bitte_." The Dane responded with a broad smile, more than amused at the somewhat surprised face that the German then gave him. "Don't get so shocked. I only know a few choice words in German."

He didn't know if the man was fluent in English. But that was a safer language than Danish when it came to foreign students. Some took the intelligent step and learned the Danish language, if even to its rudimentary core, to be able to speak somewhat easily with the Danes. But some didn't bother because they would only be in the small country for a few months and would never return afterwards.

Matthias enjoyed the English language because it was a good neutral in Europe. Most of the youth used it to communicate whenever among contemporaries. When around older people, they spoke their native language. But usually never when amongst their equals.

"Sorry." The man's accent wasn't as heavy as he expected it to be, just like his demeanor was much softer.

Berwald was big and scary. He didn't show much emotion other than anger and sometimes pride in his brothers. This man was big and kind of scary. But his face morphed into one of surprised apology when he noticed how rude he might have been perceived.

"Is the work difficult?" Matthias asked after a beat of silence, then motioned towards the area the German had come from when the blonde glanced at him in confusion. "It looks like quite a lot."

The man turned his head to look to where Matthias was pointing, then his face became one of almost horror when he noticed the state in which he had left his work station. "Not really, no." He answered with an almost nervous chuckle. And Matthias could have _sworn_ he could see a blush on the man's cheeks. But he wasn't sure. Damned lighting. "But it is a lot."

This guy, even with his heavy scowl and imposing, muscular physique, was acting a lot like Tino would whenever around his crush. Pretty freakin' adorably. And Matthias found that rather intriguing. Big men with soft shells were something that had always interested him.

There wasn't much of anything else to say. Matthias was called up by the cashier to make a new order and Ludwig quietly returned to his little den to continue working.

Nothing much had changed, really. Except for the fact that Matthias kind of hoped to be able to speak to the big German once more. Hopefully he'd be able to get more words out of him than just a few mumbles and murmurs.

..~..~..

So I'm trying out the Hetalia fandom once more! This came about from a prompt from a good friend of mine called Smartasswolf23. Which went: _Customer frequents the café for a quiet place to read and study. Customer is well aware of the very good looking barista behind the counter. Good looking barista is very well aware of equally adorable customer. Barista decides that one day they will spend their break with customer. Queue the coffee scented sexual tension._

Hope you all enjoy this! Please don't forget to review! I thrive on your comments.


	2. Chapter 2

Ludwig Beilschmidt was his name. And he visited the coffee shop every two or three days for a quiet place to study.

Matthias had found this out from Alfred. The service boy knew all of their frequent customers. And when Matthias had asked about the tall German, he hadn't hesitated at all to give the Dane information.

"He's a quiet kind of guy. Keeps mostly to himself. And he _always_ orders the same thing." Alfred told him with a small shrug, "He's cute and all, Matt, but he strikes me as a completely straight kind of dude."

"Hmm..." Matthis murmured to himself, then looked up when he heard footsteps approaching their little booth.

Both males had just finished their shifts and were patiently waiting for their boss to lock up. Even though the elderly man insisted that he didn't need anybody to walk him home, Matthias and Alfred took it upon themselves to make sure that he returned safely. Even though Denmark might seem like a utopia to many foreigners, it wasn't completely rid of crime. And elderly people walking at ten at night by themselves were universally considered easy targets.

Matthias hadn't expected to see Berwald walking up to them. Just like he didn't expect him to have a steaming mug of coffee in his hands.

"Ber?" The blonde asked as he stood up from his seat, only for Berwald's steely blue eyes to freeze him.

He didn't _look_ angry... But Matthias had a feeling that this little surprise visit would only end in some kind of disaster.

Would Berwald disown him? Kick him out of his house? Would he end up having to live on the streets because none of his friends would take him in and-

"Your name's bear?" Alfred suddenly piped up, making both brothers turn to him. "That's actually a pretty cool name. Wish I had been something awesome like that... Like Eagle..."

Berwald quirked an intrigued yet equally confused eyebrow at the teenager's ramblings, but then turned back to Matthias. "Your boss offered me some free coffee... It's good..."

Berwald spoke incredibly slow and usually slurred his words. The more tired he was, the worse this became. But right now, his words were pretty clear... Well... Clear for _him_.

There was a tense awkwardness that had fallen over both brothers and Matthias couldn't stand it. So he decided that if he was going to continue down this path of taking a year away from studies, then he would have to begin to stand up to his brothers at _all_ times. Even though he wanted to make them happy, he had to make _himself_ happy first. And he couldn't do that if he was always trying to please everyone else.

"Listen, Berwald-"

"Lukas wanted me to tell you that we'll be havin' a family breakfast tom'rrow." Berwald interrupted in an almost rushed voice, even though it still sounded somewhat slow. "You usually don't get back to th' house 'til midnight, but we're all asleep by then."

Matthias blinked at his brother's words, but soon nodded dumbly. "Yeah... Okay... I'm guessing early morning?"

"Nine sharp."

The younger of the two looked up at the older with apprehension and complete confusion. But soon Berwald nodded and turned around, walking off with his back held rigidly straight.

Once his brother was out of earshot, Matthias heard Alfred whistle. Then the teen had the nerve to say, "Geez... He's got the biggest stick up his ass I think I've ever seen."

For a second, Matthias felt a jolt of annoyance flash through him. Even though he and his brothers didn't always get along, he'd protect them until the day he died.

But... This was a _kid_. And Alfred had never had good control of his mouth... Besides, the image of Berwald walking around with a huge stick stuck up his backside was one that had Matthias smiling in amusement.

"I completely agree." The blonde sighed as he threw himself back onto the booth he had been on, "He's a bit of a hard ass. But he's actually pretty nice... Behind all the scary."

"I'm guessing he's your uncle?"

 _This_ had Matthias bursting out in a full fit of laughter. A fit that had Alfred staring at him as if he had just sprouted a second head.

"Brother, Al... He's my brother." He made out between the chuckles, then smiled at the surprised American. "Looks older than he is, don't he?"

"He sure does!" The American gasped, then scrunched his face up in thought. A face Matthias knew would give way to a question that would either make him laugh his ass off or regret ever having met the teenager. "And Lukas... That's his boyfriend?"

This was such an unbelievably funny comment that Matthias couldn't help but fall into a fit of laughter that had him just about rolling on the floor. And he even fell to the floor because of how truly hilarious the situation was.

"It's not funny, Matthias!"

Oh, it was _extremely_ funny. But Matthias was laughing so much at the moment that he couldn't tell the American. He was just able to laugh and laugh and sometimes smack his fists against the floor to truly show off how funny the situation was.

Alfred got tired of listening to him laugh after a while. So the teen stood up and began to walk away, all the while Matthias continued to roll around on the floor.

But after a few minutes, his laughter died down and Matthias just lay on the floor, taking in the absurdity of what his American friend had said. Sure, it made sense to him if someone thought his brothers were dating. The way they acted and how much they actually loved one another, Matthias could understand clearly. But, even with how he could understand, he still found it hilarious whenever anyone made the mistake.

As he forced his breath to slow and calm down, Matthias looked over at the computer corner of the little shop. He didn't know why. He just felt like looking over in that one direction.

On the desk that he'd seen Ludwig seated on today- just like in every other day-, Matthias was able to see a kind of book. So, with curiosity spurring him forward, Matthias picked himself up from the floor and moved towards the desk. And when he reached it and picked up the little book, he found that it was a comic book. Graphic novel... Whatever. Matthias wasn't a big entrepreneur of super heroes, so he didn't know much about this kind of thing.

It wasn't any of the big names. He'd never heard of the heroes on the front cover. And when he turned over the book to read the summary at the book, Matthias was left even more confused. He'd never heard of any of the names mentioned her. Nor had he heard of this strange world they apparently lived in.

"Mattie! Closing time!"

Matthias jumped upon suddenly hearing his boss' voice break the silence. But he soon turned around and offered a small smile, moving to walk towards the front of the shop.

"Already? So boring, Mr. Frederick! We should stay for a while and play football in the main area."

The tall man offered a small chuckle as he shook his head in Matthias' direction. Then he motioned for the young male to exit the shop, which the blonde did. When he stepped out, it was to find Alfred already outside, waiting for him and their boss.

"Did you finally stop being immature?"

Alfred's voice was harsh, but his face reminded Matthias so much of a kicked puppy that the Dane couldn't stop himself- he began to laugh loudly once more.

Alfred's loud groan was like music to his ears.

~/~

Matthias wound up reading the comic book straight through his family's breakfast.

It wasn't that his family was boring or anything, but they had thrown all of their efforts into talking about school and jobs. A topic of conversation that was undoubtedly supposed to drive a thorn into Matthias' side. And, if not for the book that distracted him, the Dane was pretty sure that he truly would have gotten annoyed by what was said.

Unlike many of the comic books he had come across in his life, it wasn't campy nor did the story line feel forced so it could appeal to more than just one age group. But it dealt with some pretty heavy themes like rape and murder, so Matthias guessed this wasn't some random kid story.

Once he'd finished reading it; all the while he still ignored Lukas asking Emil and Tino about their future college careers; Matthias' eye was caught by a small note on the inside of the back cover of the paper book.

 _Property of Ludwig Beilschmidt. If found, please call the number below._

 _Hopefully, you have enjoyed this story as much as I have. But, please, return it as soon as possible._

Below this, there was a number. The words and numbers were written in precise, clean lines. And the size of the letters was even, which led Matthias to believe that this Ludwig fellow was the kind that enjoyed to be organized.

It was odd, though, that he had the note of who to call on the _back_ of the book...

Still, it felt good that Matthias now had an excuse to try and speak with his favorite customer.

~/~

When Ludwig walked into the coffee shop, Matthias couldn't help but perk up. The day had been somewhat slow and he was still reeling slightly from the tongue lashings he'd received a few days ago.

His brothers were the only people in the world that could actually bring his mood down. And they used this against him. _A lot_.

The German's eyes immediately glanced towards his corner. But when they finished scanning over the desk he had been seated in a couple of days ago, Matthias could see his face fall and his mood drop.

He must have been hoping he'd find his book there... And this gave Matthias an idea.

Initially, his plan had been to return the comic book as soon as Ludwig grabbed the coffee he would order from whichever barista made it. And he'd kind of hoped that, maybe, he'd be able to begin a real conversation with the man.

But if Ludwig had made _one_ thing clear ever since Matthias had started working, it was that he really didn't like conversations too much. Even though he was able to talk with whoever started up a conversation, the broad blonde didn't really seem as if he truly enjoyed it. Especially because he would always glance back at his work every now and then, as if mentally willing the person talking to speak faster so he could return to his reading.

Even though he was pretty sure the comic book would be a good conversationally piece... Well, he kind of liked the new idea that had sprang up in his head.

So Matthias bid his time and didn't return the book when Ludwig came over to pick up his coffee. Instead, he waited until the man went on a rather normal bathroom break from his studies so he was able to return the book.

When Ludwig went out, Matthias quickly ran over to the boss's office and picked up a stray piece of paper, along with a pen. Then he quickly began to write down a few quick praises towards the story and characters, one praise to Ludwig's amazing taste, and, finally, a small question.

 _Do you have any other good books to read?_

..~..~..

Please don't forget to review. I love reading what y'all have to say!


	3. Chapter 3

Secretly, Matthias left the book where the German sat. And once Ludwig returned, it was to look rather surprised about finding a book that had previously not been there.

The Dane quickly turned away to work on one of his orders so that the big dopey grin on his face wasn't seen by the German. Because he was sure that Ludwig would turn around, wide eyed, to glance over the shop and see if whoever had left him the book was still there. It would just have been a completely normal, human reaction to use after receiving such a shock.

For the rest of his day, Matthias could not wipe that stupid smile off of his face. Alfred even commented on how stupid he looked, although that wasn't something difficult to see with a dumb Dane like him... Sometimes, Matthias wondered why he kept the annoying teenager around. Then, at other times, he pulled amazing stunts out of his ass and left him completely stunned and grateful. Which happened to occur during closing time once again.

Once again, they were waiting for their boss to close up. The shop was completely clean after they'd all worked to keep it nice and Alfred and he were just sitting and waiting. The American had whistled a happy little tune and Matthias had wondered what food he might be going back home to- for either Tino left him food or his brothers had purposefully eaten everything good in the house and would force him to cook for himself.

Suddenly, though, Alfred's upbeat whistling came to a full stop and he looked at Matthias with wide eyes.

"I forgot to tell you!" The blonde bolted up with that manic shout, only to thrust his hand into his bag, rustling noises coming out as he searched for something, then smiled broadly as the noises stopped. "Ludwig left you something."

With this the American pulled out a book that wasn't as thin as the comic book that he'd previously returned to his owner. It was much thicker, but it also seemed to be a normal, non-pictured book. And the cover was encompassed in what seemed to be leather, but Matthias was pretty sure it wasn't.

"I've never been a big fan of reading," the American began as he glanced down at the thick book, "but you two seem to like it enough. He left a note inside it, too."

Now he handed the book over to Matthias, who, with wide eyes and a soaring heart, quickly opened it up to see what note the German had left.

 _Thank you for returning my comic to me. I am very grateful that you returned it in the same condition I lost it in. And, even though this is not a comic, I did not have any other book with me at the moment. But Fyodor Dostoevsky's 'Crime and Punishment' is a magnificent read if you wish to challenge yourself._

 _~ Very gratefully, Ludwig Beildschmidt_

For the life of him, Matthias could not believe what he was reading. He couldn't believe what he was _holding_.

Ludwig... Had actually _left him something to read_.

This must have been a dream. There was no way that the German could have actually left one of his books with him. Especially one that looked to have cost an arm and a leg.

"You think you'll be able to read that?" He faintly focused on Alfred's question, but was much too focused on the book in his hands to properly process what had been said. "I mean, it's a pretty thick book."

Matthias had never been one for Russian literature. It was extensive, heavy in its themes, and barely ever managed to truly capture his imagination. But if Ludwig had left it for him, then this book must have been worth the read. And it had been kind of a challenge, Ludwig had said so. He should read it if he wanted to challenge himself.

Honestly speaking, the Dane was _not_ looking for a challenge. He would have been happy with dozens of small books so he could have an excuse to constantly return books with messages to the German. But if Ludwig had left this for him, then Matthias would not back down. He'd always risen up whenever he'd been challenged. And he refused to leave that creed.

"I'm going to read this." He nodded to himself even as Alfred rolled his eyes and sat back down to continue to wait for their boss. "I'm going to read it and I'm going to make Ludwig fall in love with me. I swear it."

"Do you swear it by Odin? Or Thor?"

This time, he _did_ process what Alfred had said. And he scowled over at the younger male, closing the book back up while making sure to keep the paper note within. He would like to keep that paper for as long as he could.

"You know, you're looking for an ass kicking by making fun of Scandinavian history."

"Please, I'm American."

Matthias blinked over at the smugly smiling teen, truly dumbfounded by the blasé attitude he'd taken.

(Blasé. That wasn't a word he'd known before. But the comic book he'd read had used it and he'd wound up looking up the definition. Maybe he wasn't using it right at the current moment. But he felt damn proud to know such a word.)

"What does that mean?"

"The whole world loves me, Mattie. And you can't hurt someone the world loves."

Why Alfred thought the whole world loved America was well and truly beyond the Dane. Because, from the current news reports he'd been seeing floating around, _nobody_ loved America at the moment. Especially the countries in the Old World.

"You're ego is as inflated as your economy."

Alfred let out an undignified squawk and stumbled to come up with a comeback. But at that moment Mr. Frederick walked outside of his office and motioned for his two employees to leave the café. So both males stood up from their chairs and walked out.

As he walked, Matthias couldn't help but just stare at the large book in his hands.

He _would_ read this. No matter how long it took.

~/~

Matthias took to reading the book while he was at home. He couldn't really read at his job because even though Mr. Frederick was an understanding guy, he did _not_ approve of slacking off. No matter what romantic adventures were being experienced at the moment.

Because he would usually arrive at his home late at night, Matthias would find himself reading in the corner of his spacious living room with only one lamp lit for lighting. He didn't have to share a room like Tino and Emil did, but he didn't like reading in such a closed space. He wasn't sure why. But he knew he enjoyed reading more out in the living room, which is why he did so.

One night as he'd read about how Raskolnikov finally got his act together and went to kill her intended target, that avaricious and nasty prawnbroker that abused of her poor sister, Matthias heard footsteps coming down the house's main stairs.

Their home was a standard, two story home built before any of them had been born and purchased by their parents when they'd first gotten married. It was a warm home, their father had made sure to decorate it as welcoming as possible when he'd still been alive. And their mother had made sure that none of the kids had broken anything of importance as they had been raised. So it was almost in the same state as it had been when their parents had died.

It wasn't normal for his brothers to wake up in the middle of the night. They were heavy sleepers. Matthias was too, but not to the same extent as them. And Irunya and Arthur weren't usually the kind to walk down into the living room. These two were light sleepers, but when they woke up at night, it was usually to go to the bathroom. They didn't venture downstairs... Or hadn't, until tonight.

When Matthias glanced up from his book, it was to find Irunya.

The Ucranian woman offered him a tired smile as she waved, then went into the kitchen. Matthias could hear her opening cabinets and moving things, then serving some kind of liquid. After a few seconds, he heard the microwave door being opened, closed, then a time being set. After, the quiet hum of the microwave working. And, finally, the shrill beep of the contraption having finished its job. Once again he could hear the door opening and closing, and then, footsteps once more.

His little city was quiet at night. They lived on the outskirts of the busy area, so it wasn't all that surprising for the hustle and bustle to not really affect them as much as others.

When Irunya next appeared, it was with two mugs in her hand. She walked up to him with the kind smile she always wore, for it seemed that she didn't even know how to _frown_.

"Late night reading?"

Her accent was thick and unmistakable, but it allowed for her to be understood. It hadn't been like this in the past and she'd had real trouble communicating with others in English. But Lukas had helped her over the last week and she'd improved greatly.

"Yeah. Just something to unwind." Matthias smiled back as he accepted what he assumed to be hot chocolate.

Seeing how Irunya was mostly bundled up in thick pajamas, he could guess that she was feeling somewhat cold. And her voice seemed somewhat stuffy, probably she'd gotten sick and was looking to warm her bones.

The woman pushed the book up so she could read the title on the cover, then quirked an eyebrow once she'd finished up. "Crime and Punishment? That is not 'something to unwind'."

This made the Dane smile, then shrug, "What can I say? I'm a weirdo that likes to do weird stuff."

"Very true." She nodded softly, took a sip of her drink, and looked down at the book in his hands with more concentration.

As she stared, Matthias took a sip of his drink and thanked her for it. Just like always, Irunya's hot chocolate was the best around. Not even _Kaffebar's_ could stand up to hers.

"Your brothers..." The woman began softly, then sighed, "They are not too... Forgiving? _Tak_. That is word." She said this more to herself, but then looked at Matthias and frowned softly.

Matthias had _never_ seen her frown.

What was going on?

"They love you. They're not too nice. But that is because they care."

For a few seconds, all Matthias could do was stare at the Ucranian. But then he smiled softly and nodded. "I know that, Irunya. They've always been tough on me. Ever since we were kids."

"Even then?" She questioned, eyes wide and disbelieving.

This caused the Dane to chuckle softly, but still nod. "Yeah. They're hardasses. All of them. Even little Tino... But I know that they just want the best for me..."

It was weird to be having such a deep conversation with his brother's girlfriend. He hadn't really made too much of a connection with either Irunya or Arthur out of fear of them eventually have to leave their family.

Irunya Chernenko, though, was just the kind of person you could trust. Not just because Matthias was a naturally trusting person. Even mistrusting Lukas had managed to allow her into his heart.

"So... Matthias, are you planning on leaving?"

The hurried question caught him completely off guard. But before he could even say anything, Irunya was shaking her head and apologizing.

"I am sorry! I should not have asked such a thing." Quickly, the woman stood up and turned away. "Goodnight, Matthias."

And she hurried away from the living room. She went away so fast Matthias wasn't even able to tell her he didn't actually mind the question.

..~..~..

Please review. I love reading what y'all have to say!


	4. Chapter 4

Matthias was able to finish reading the wonderful book left to him by Ludwig in less than a month. And, by the end of the story, Matthias couldn't help but feel as if he'd just been shown a whole new world he never wanted to leave.

When he returned the book, he scrawled his feelings on the matter as best he could without seeming like a weird, over imposing, stalker. And, to finish up, he asked for another book to read because both of the ones he had read until now had been amazing.

Alfred called him an idiot for not straight up asking him out in the second message. But Matthias just shooed him away to return to his work, he didn't need the annoying American ruining any of his chances by bringing his negative vibes towards him.

Ludwig returned to _Kaffebar_ a week after Matthias had finished reading Crime and Punishment.

This had been a week that Matthias had spent fretting and worrying over Ludwig coming back. Because he had wanted to continue this book trading business as quickly as possible so he could try and make Ludwig fall in love with him as quickly as possible! But if Ludwig didn't come back and get his book, then they would never be able to fall in love and Matthias would be left old and alone and that was _so sad_!

By the time Friday had rolled around and Matthias had not seen even a _millimeter_ of Ludwig's pale blond hair, he'd been ready to jump into the small stash of ice cream they had at the coffee shop and eat his troubles away.

His heart skipped two whole beats, though, when he finally _did_ see Ludwig's hair. And then it jump started and began to pound so loudly it felt as if it were about to jump out of his chest when Ludwig walked up to the counter to order his usual drink.

Quite frankly, Matthias felt a bit like a fool for being so affected by just seeing the German student. But he'd always been a fool, so that didn't bother him too much.

Like he always did, Ludwig sat himself in the study area of the shop and pulled out a dozen different books and papers, immediately settling in to work.

To his right, Matthias could hear Alfred giggling to himself and telling one of their co-workers about re-opening the pool. He wasn't completely sure just what the teenager was talking about. But he hoped it wasn't gambling. Alfred had already shown a worrying propensity towards the pastime and Matthias was worried it might grow into more if people continued to feed his habit.

Ignoring the momentary thought, the Dane asked for his fellow barista to cover for him, ran into the staff area and unearthed the book he had been bringing with him to work for the past couple of days, and ran back out to not garner a scolding from his boss.

The rest of the day, he bid his time, waiting for the perfect moment to sneak the large book over to Ludwig without getting caught.

It came in the form of Ludwig standing up to go to the bathroom. Just like the last time around, Matthias ran away from his post and over to his extremely busy desk. There, he laid down the book with as much care as he could, suddenly terrified of it breaking apart because of his very touch.

This time around, he was able to take a look over at some of the books that Ludwig was working on. And they were all mostly historical or scientific related. He could even see one that had **ANTHROPOLOGY** written clearly on its cover. But he couldn't stick around to snoop for long enough to see if there had been more anthropology books.

With his cheeks red and his chest rising and falling in a fast, yet somewhat comedic fashion, Matthias returned to his post and began to fill out orders as if he had never even left.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see Alfred shaking his head while smirking like a loon. But he just ignored the American, dead set on not giving him any attention.

Once his shift ended, Matthias made a bee-line towards the desk Ludwig had previously been using.

Behind him, Alfred hooted about how much of a fool he looked. But he ignored the annoying American so he could go and see if Ludwig had left him anything.

He had.

This time around, it was another thick book. It was not a hardcover, though. Instead, it was a paperback book with a completely white cover that had a sort of eye up on the left corner of the cover. Printed in clear blocky font at the very middle, Matthias could clearly read '1984'. And his heart skipped a beat.

He had actually liked reading this one back in that British history class he'd taken during his first year of university.

Opening up the book, Matthias found a note nuzzled in between the cover and the first page.

 _I am glad you enjoyed 'Crime and Punishment'. It truly is one of my favorite books of all time. And I agree, the name Marmeladov is somewhat amusing, although I am sure Fyodor Dostoevsky did not name him this just for comedic relief._

Matthias smiled at this. He'd commented on how funny the character's name sounded simply to try and see if Ludwig had a sense of humor. And it seemed that he did! Faint as it may have been!

 _George Orwell is another of my favorite authors. Although his stories are much more depressing than 'Crime and Punishment', I still find a beauty within '1984'. I hope you enjoy this story as much as you enjoyed the last one._

There was a separation between this paragraph and the next one, one which looked kind of big. And there was a mark within the space that looked as if Ludwig had begun to say something, but crossed it out.

 _Would it be too much for you to leave me a book to read as well? You are learning of my preferences, yet I know nothing about you other than the fact that you have a good taste in books._

 _~Hopefully, Ludwig._

Matthias just about fainted from the joy.

Reading this book wound up being much easier than he had remembered it being the first time around. But that may have been because he had so much reason to finish it now rather than the standard 'read if you want good grades'.

A week after he had returned 'Crime and Punishment', Matthias found himself leaving two different books for Ludwig.

He had spent the whole night looking over his family's collection of books to try and figure out which one might have been a good one to give to the German.

First he had thought about giving him a classic. It was clear from the past two books Ludwig had left him that he appreciated classic literature. But Matthias, although he had enjoyed these past two stories, had never really been one for the classics. He could read them and see their intriguing details, yes, but he wouldn't really pick out a classic from his book case just to be able to read something light.

Then he had thought about borrowing one of Tino's smart books. The kid enjoyed reading historical things and most of his collection was filled with interesting books that spoke about amazing geniuses or unbelievably historical happenings. He even had one that dealt with Nazi thievery when it came to art work… But he didn't really think that might sell over well with the German student.

By midnight, he had been frowning and pacing.

He couldn't lie to Ludwig about his tastes in books. That was no way to start a relationship, right? And Ludwig had been so honest with him about his tastes! He couldn't just give him a book to make himself seem smart and knowledgeable. He _was_ smart. But he didn't have a particular affinity towards those books.

Most of his collection of books was composed of modern stories from different kinds of authors. Some were kind of childish- like (even though he'd never voice it out loud) the Percy Jackson series. A few were historical fiction, although most of those dealt with Mesoamerica or Spain- his mother had loved Spanish stories and stocked up on them, even though she always complained that her one greatest regret was that she had never learned their native language to be able to read them as their authors had intended- so he didn't feel like those might have been too intriguing for Ludwig.

As he had been prepared to give up and just lie to Ludwig and tell him that he didn't actually have any books, his eyes had fallen onto a book that had been left on his desk.

Arthur and Irunya sometimes borrowed his books without asking because they enjoyed reading his stories. They didn't always enjoy them as much as Matthias did, but they'd never damaged any book yet and had never actually insulted Matthias' tastes in books. The only thing they never did right was leave them in their place- always, no matter how many times he told them to just put them back into his bookcase, he didn't care about the order, they left his books on his desk so he could put them in their place.

 _'The Little Paris Book Shop'_

Matthias wanted to smack himself for having been such an idiot.

The book dealt with a protagonist that gave away books that could help heal souls, even though he could never help himself. It was an adventure inclined tale, with hilarious bits, and a rather heartwarming ending.

It was a girly book… But it was perfect.

He'd written Ludwig a note explaining his reasoning for giving him this book, thanking him for the wonderful '1984', and telling him that he truly had a great taste in books; could he please give him another?

That day, Ludwig had appeared. Matthias had waited patiently until he had left his desk. And it was when he went to the bathroom yet again that the Dane made his way towards his desk, placed both books down as carefully as he could, and made his way back to his station to act as if nothing were out of place.

As he'd served up a much too sugary coffee treat for one of Alfred's friends, he had noticed Ludwig coming back from the bathroom.

He'd almost dropped the created drink when he saw a small smile melt onto the German's face.

* * *

After Matthias gave to him the book he'd hoped would be a good one, they began to trade books. And through these books, they began to open up about themselves.

As always, Matthias had been the first one to start the process. But not in a manner he had even thought of being able to garner results. It had been just a simple thought he'd written down without any expectations.

 _I must admit, it is rather saddening to see how women in that age were treated- what kind of life they were made to live simply because they weren't male. I mean, I understand why it is that this happened- culture has always been a rather complex thing and in my field, understanding and observation comes first and foremost; not judgment. But I guess that, while I enjoyed 'Family Happiness' and can see its literary value, it's not really something I would like to read and read again._

Leon Tolstoy's 'Family Happiness' had come about a week after '1984'. It was also after given to him after Matthias had offered his own book to Ludwig.

Matthias had thought that, after a week of not having seen Ludwig, the German was tired of him and didn't want to continue with any book trading business. But then he had given him Leon Tolstoy's little book and Matthias' heart had soared. Especially because the German had left him a small note telling him that he was only halfway finished with the book he had given, but it was a rather good read and he was truly enjoying it.

After he'd returned the book, Ludwig had left yet another book for him, along with his own story. And the note he'd left for him had caused Matthias' heart to start dancing around so much that he'd begun to kind of hyperventilate and Mr. Fredrick had asked him to calm down before he fainted in the middle of the shop.

 _That truly was an interesting book. I am not an avid reader of modern stories- there is still so much to be found within the classics. But this was a rather entertaining read. If you have other modern age books you wish for me to read, I have no qualms._

 _Your field requires an understanding of culture? If I may, would you mind my asking just what this field might be? For I am currently working on a Masters Degree on Forensic Anthropology, with an emphasis on the deontology._

Forensic Anthropology. This German was currently studying forensic anthropology. _Forensic anthropology_.

Matthias had felt as if he could have fainted.

The German man was much too perfect.

..~..~..

So what did you think? Did you like it? Review and tell me what you thought.


	5. Chapter 5

"You know he's a guy... But does _he_ know that he's currently book-flirting with another guy?"

Matthias frowned at Alfred's question, all the while the youth stopped for a moment to create and pop a bubble gum bubble.

"Why do you always have to come into my land and destroy everything I consider precious? I know you're American, Al, but you don't have to go through with the stereotype so accurately."

The American chewed loudly for a good five seconds, extremely aware that he was getting on Matthias' nerves. Then he finally sighed, "You're a guy. He's a guy. And I know Denmark's one of the most liberal places around- what with their legal gay marriages since the 1900's," Matthias felt the impulse to correct the kid, but he continued to speak before he had the chance, "But that doesn't mean he's okay with going out with a guy... The norm is still reproduction, as you well know."

"You're taking research I made to use against me?"

"It was for a stupid project you didn't even like. If I had to suffer through the torture that was listening to you practicing that stupid presentation then I can use those damn facts against you!"

His frown deepened and then there was a knock on the staff door that pulled them both away from the conversation.

Their boss stood in front of the door, a confused eyebrow quirked up as he took in their expressions. Usually, they were both wearing smiles and having a good time when they took their breaks. But, considering what the topic of their conversation had been, it only made sense that they did not have their usual jovial camaraderie bursting from their bodies.

"Your breaks end in five minutes." The older male told them, making them both nod tensely. His light eyes shifted from Matthias towards Alfred for a second, then back to Matthias. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. We're just not agreeing on something stupid."

Matthias flinched at his own words, while Alfred scoffed and shook his head.

"Sure. Stupid enough that you're obsessing over it."

With those final words, the teenager left in a rush. He hurried past Mr. Frederick while the man looked at him with a truly stunned look on his face. Then, once he was gone, his boss looked over at him.

"I may be an old man, but I'm still available to offer whatever kind of help I can give." He smiled kindly and Matthias felt his heart squeeze uncomfortably at just how lucky he was to have such a great boss.

He knew Mr. Frederick wouldn't judge him... But Alfred had forcibly injected all kinds of doubts into his mind with just one question... And now, Matthias just wanted to be alone.

"It's really nothing, Mr. Frederick. Really. Alfred's just being a dramatic American."

The frown that stayed on Mr. Frederick's face let Matthias know that he wasn't buying the lame excuse. But instead of admitting what was bothering him, the young man stood up with a clap of his hands and forced a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes onto his lips. "I guess I should get back on my shift, eh? Are we busy? Or is it a slower day?"

The older man's eyes were narrowed in a thoughtful manner as he stared at Matthias. And Matthias just stared back with a faltering smile, hoping that his boss would just let his out of character actions go; just for today; so that they could regain some semblance of normalcy.

Eventually Mr. Frederick sighed and offered, "Medium crowd. Not too many, not too little. Enough to give you a couple of drinks to complete."

With those words, he left Matthias alone in the break room... And Matthias took that opportunity to drop the fake smile and sigh, a heavy weight suddenly on his shoulders.

Ludwig was beautiful. He was intelligent. He was studying forensic anthropology with an emphasis on deontology. He was about as close to perfect as anybody could ever come.

But he was a guy that be as straight as a metal rod for all Matthias knew because he had yet to muster up the courage to tell the other man that he wasn't exchanging books with a _woman_.

Ludwig had never asked, so he had never found a reason to tell... Until Alfred had asked him what his plans with him would be now that he had a steady conversation through book exchanges.

 _"So, where'll you take him for your first date?"_

That had been the innocent question that had started it all.

Matthias had admitted that he wasn't sure yet, just like he didn't even know if Ludwig would even want to meet with him for a _date_. Because, yeah, they were interacting extremely well through books and everything, but they hadn't really managed to speak aside from a bit of their personal lives and their love for books. And, yeah, Matthias admired the German as someone that could be more than just a friend- he was hot, no denying. But Ludwig didn't even know what he _looked like_. So he hadn't really made any plans farther than hopefully getting him to open up some more through their correspondence.

It was when Matthias had admitted to this that Alfred had jumped on his case about the whole 'are you even sure he'll be willing to go out with you once he finds out you're a guy?'.

And now Matthias was here... Alone and quiet and extremely aware of his mounting nerves slowly building up to a frenzy that would send him into a not-quite-anxiety attack that would make him regret ever having thought he could ever have a good idea.

Forcing himself to breathe in deeply, Matthias tried to remind himself that he had never been the kind to wallow in dark thoughts. No, that had always been Lukas' job- _he_ was the one that went through that one weird emo phase. No, Matthias was the ray of sunshine that never doubted any one of his actions because everything eventually worked out for the best- why fight against the current when he could just let himself go with the flow?

He was the cool one. He was the one that always found light, no matter how dark the situation. He was the one that his brothers would always scold because, even if he couldn't find light in any given situation, he would create it by joking around or making the situation seem less than it was. He was _not_ the one that allowed himself to get overwhelmed when he could find light in _anything_.

Right now, though... The very _thought_ of Ludwig rejecting him... Well, it hurt so much that he would rather not think about it at all.

This was the first time in his life that he wasn't able to think long enough about a serious situation to find something to make light of. This was the first time that thinking about something serious actually hurt him so much he would rather ignore and forget about it.

With a heavy sigh, Matthias forced himself to smile and return to his work station.

His heart began to pound impatiently as soon as he was able to catch sight of the beautiful German seated in his usual table, hunched over his many books as he stared intently at them.

He was in love.

And he was kind of afraid of admitting it to Ludwig.

Alfred had a right to worry.

He began his work shift by trying to push all thoughts of the beautiful German a couple of feet away out of his head so he could fully concentrate on the drinks he was making.

That didn't work when his brain forced him to notice that Ludwig suddenly pulled away from his books with a heavy, indecisive frown on his face. He was glaring down at his desk and Matthias glanced over, only to find that Ludwig was writing something within what seemed to be a literary book, not one for his classes.

His heart stuttered when he began to wonder if, maybe, that was a book that would be left for him to pick up later.

Ludwig breathed out heavily and Matthias wanted nothing more than to ask him what was wrong and offer him a free cup of his favorite drink just so he could see the other male smile again.

He didn't do that, though. He stayed in his area and began to make the order he was given. Even though he tried his best to concentrate solely on his work and not mess anything up, he found that a part of his attention always diverted back to Ludwig to continue checking up on him.

By the end of his shift, Ludwig still looked like a kicked puppy. And Matthias wanted to do everything in his power to destroy the very essence of whoever had dared mess with his perfect German. But he didn't do anything irrational and made his way around the counter so he could begin his usual routine of preparation to leave the _Kaffebar_ with Alfred and their boss.

As he began to walk into the staff room, he heard a tremulous voice call out, "E-excuse me! Matthias, correct?"

The thick German accent almost had him swooning.

Matthias found that he had to hold onto the doorknob of the room's door so he could maintain some degree of balance. He closed his eyes, breathed in deeply, and finally dared turn around so he could look at the man that had called for him.

"Yeah. That's me. I'm Matthias. You are correct."

He somehow managed to finally bite his bottom lip to keep from finishing with a lame, _'You were correct in calling me Matthias, for that is my name... Matthias.'_

Ludwig had somehow become more handsome.

Matthias wasn't sure if that was because he was now face to face, outside of work hours, or because the German had simply gotten even more handsome since they had first seen each other.

"Hi... Um... I am not sure how to say this, but..."

Matthias blamed trick lighting on the fact that he swore that the larger man's cheekbones were highlighted with a light hue of pink.

"I have... Hmm..."

Okay, without a doubt, Ludwig looked to be pouting. His eyes lowered to the floor as he seemed to contemplate over what he wanted to say, leaving Matthias completely dumbfounded and in need to squeal at how truly adorable the man before him looked.

"It is rather embarrassing, now that I want to say this aloud... But, well, you see, I have been receiving different kinds of communications through books left to me, usually when I am in the bathroom. I have never seen the person that leaves me these books, though... _Und_ , I _vas_ _vondering_ if you had, by any chance," Holy shit, did his accent become more noticeable when he was embarrassed?! "Seen who has been doing _zis_?"

For a moment, Matthias swore he felt his heart stop.

Then, when it began, it jump started with so much intensity he could only hear his heart for a couple of seconds.

Blood rushed up to his face, against his wishes, and his mind fumbled to find any kind of answer for the German's answer.

"Uh, you see, I work the counter and pay too much attention to making coffee to look at stuff outside of my station and," He snapped his mouth shut as soon as he noticed the German's incredulous, kind of worried look.

Taking in a deep breath, Matthias did his best to ground himself.

Ludwig cared enough about the messages to question someone he did not know about it. And it would make sense to ask someone that worked in the coffee shop, they would have been able to see _something_ , after all.

"May I ask," He began slowly, making sure to enunciate his words and not slur vocals together as his Danish speaking mind usually tended to do when he became flustered. "If the messages are negative? Is this bothering you? In any way?"

Okay, the light pink hue had reddened and was now much larger. Ludwig _was_ blushing!

" _Nein_ … _Vell_ , yes, actually... I... I wish to know who this person is... _Und_..." Once again, the German averted his gaze. He fiddled with his fingers, twirling them around each other as he tried to keep only looking at them.

To be such a large and broad man, he acted in an incredibly _shy_ manner.

Matthias found this endearing.

"I do not have anyone else to ask for help... _Mein brüder_ is not very good at _zhese_ matters _und_ my friends..." He sighed heavily, his shoulders drooping as if a thousand pounds had just been dropped on them. "You seem like a kind man _und_ I _vouldn't_ be asking if I had someone else to ask... But, do you _zink_ you could help me write a message to tell this person... _Zat_ I _vish_ to meet _wiz zem_?"

..~..~..

Cliffhanger time!

I hope you all liked this chapter! Please review and tell me what you thought!


	6. Chapter 6

Matthias was nervous.

He had accidentally over-complicated his life by not telling Ludwig the truth as soon as the opportunity had presented itself. Instead of coming clean, he had chickened out at the perfect moment. Rather than tell the German student the truth, Matthias agreed to help Ludwig write up a letter to ask his unidentified pen-pal to meet each other and speak face-to-face.

He sighed, a long, aged, and tired sound that didn't quite match with his age or usual personality, as he looked at the book that had the most recent of Ludwig's messages to him inside of it.

 _'The Hobbit'_

A great book that made for a mostly fantastic read. Certainly a class by all means- at least, the part that Matthias had managed to read.

If not for the invitation to meet today at 10:00 pm in front of _Kaffebar_ , Matthias would have loved to re-read the book. Hell, he would have even been able to come up with some witty commentary about the movies when compared to the book (he _really_ loved how the movies made each character feel like a fully lived and experienced individual even though he was more than capable of acknowledging its mistakes) if not for this meeting.

He would have loved to be able to discuss the book and admit for the first time in his life that he was an undeserving lover of the book because he had never truly finished reading it. He had seen the movies before he had read the book- it had never been assigned in school and he had not been a big fan of fantasy- so he had known about the bittersweet ending. In his book, the dwarves never retook the mountain. They merely climbed up to find Smaug but never fully met him.

He'd never admitted that to anyone in his life.

Admitting this to Ludwig would have to wait, though, because of the meeting the German had kindly asked for.

They had worked together for a few minutes to come up with a short and sweet message that would ask for the secret pen-pal to meet outside of _Kaffebar_ hours. Ludwig had seemed more than happy with Matthias' help and thanked him profusely as he handed him the book with the message inside so he could leave it in the _Kaffebar_ tomorrow so the mystery person could pick it up.

This was a meeting that he was absolutely _dreading_.

How was he supposed to explain to Ludwig that _he_ was the mystery pen-pal that had been too much of a coward when the perfect opportunity had presented itself? In just what world would him completely chickening out of telling the object of all his recent affections about how he felt be see as something okay- or, even further, even _slightly_ desirable?

No world like that existed. He was doomed because he was an idiot.

Matthias could admit that Alfred was correct in at least _this one_ thing.

He wasn't set to work today, but Ludwig had not known that when he left the book with him. He had thought that Matthias would continue with the tradition of leaving the book for the secret pen-pal to find once he got to the coffee place.

Lukas waltzed into his room as he began to fidget with the hem of the jacket he thought of wearing tonight. It was dark and thick, looking like a regular, leather jacket, although made out of cotton and with a hood attached to its collar.

"Just what in the world are you worrying over now, brother? Your lack of bills?"

Lukas had never been particularly fond of his choices in life. He made sure of making this explicitely clear whenever the chance presented itself.

Matthias closed his eyes, counted to ten, then turned to his brother with a fake smile. "What're you doing here, Luke? You aren't the kind to come and visit me on a school day."

The man had a mug filled with steaming hot chocolate in his right hand, the delicious smell filling up Matthias' room with its warm comfort. It was filled to the brim and didn't seem to have been touched by his brother.

"Irunya asked me to bring you this." Lukas explained with a sigh, "She ordered me to take a break from grading tests."

Matthias nodded, grabbed the cup, and took a small sip of the delicious drink. It warmed him in the best way possible, making him lose the sense of impending doom for a couple of seconds before it reappeared.

"But, really, what's eating at you?"

Matthias frowned for a moment, then shrugged, "Nothing, really. Like you said, I don't really have anything that should worry me."

He was lying through his teeth. But how was he supposed to explain the situation to his more than judgemental brother? And, even if he knew _how_ , just _why_ would he tell him anything? Lukas would undoubtedly throw his cowardice in his face and tell him he was being an idiot. He didn't really need that kind of conversation at the moment.

Lukas remained quiet for a moment, huffed, and left the room.

For some reason, Matthias felt guilty over having kept his worries a secret from his brother. But that didn't make any sense. Lukas had never been the kind to care about his brother's personal lives as long as their business aspirations were not derailed.

He sighed once more when he scanned over the shirts he had picked out to wear.

They all seemed much too nice to wear to what was supposed to be a casual outing. But this wasn't a casual outing, now was it? But... It wasn't a date either. They would be 'meeting' for the first time.

How was he going to play his stupidity and cowardice off?

"Red... Or blue?"

He had narrowed his closet down to a nice pair of jeans and a tight fitting red shirt or a dark blue button up shirt.

"Red makes your eyes pop!"

Matthias turned around as soon as he heard Tino's voice, "What is this? Random cameo day?"

His brothers usually ignored him. Just what were they doing popping up out of nowhere?

"Besides, if you wore dark blue with that jacket, you'd look like your dressed for a funeral." Matthias found Tino smiling brightly at him, hugging a stack of large books to his chest. "I was just passing by when I heard your dilemma and decided to grace you with my expertise."

Out of his siblings, Tino was the most like him. He was bright and bubbly, a complete antithesis to Berwald, Lukas, and Emil. But he wasn't as outgoing as Matthias when it dealt with people that weren't family.

"Why are you worrying over your clothes? Meeting a special someone?"

This was creepy.

His family was creepy.

Matthias completely ignored his burning cheeks as he coughed and looked away from his brother. "Not like that's any of your business, little bro. So just scuttle along and leave me alone."

Tino didn't seem insulted at all by Matthias' words. Instead, he smiled, offered a small wave, and left the doorway to Matthias' room.

The worried Dane frowned over how odd it was to talk to _one_ of his brothers; much less _two_. Then he turned around and looked over the clothes once more... With a sigh, he picked up the red shirt and made his way to the bathroom to bathe and get dressed.

~/~

He stood in the cold for ten minutes before Ludwig appeared.

He had been fifteen minutes early. Ludwig had been _five_ minutes early.

As soon as the German's eyes landed on him, they widened with recognition and confusion.

"Matthias? What are you doing here?"

He couldn't help but have his cheeks flare up as soon as the German walked up to him.

He had to swallow his fear as he began to fidget with his hands, even though they were currently within the pockets of his jacket.

"Uh... Look, Ludwig, I've got to be honest with you..." Matthias murmured softly, then grabbed the book that was inside of his backpack.

Coming clean was the only way to go about this. He knew this because it was what both his heart and gut were saying. His brain was yelling at him to come up with a lie and escape; but his brain could be pretty stupid at times.

"I... I'm the one you've been exchanging books with." He showed Ludwig his copy of _'The Hobbit'_ , not daring to look him in the eyes as he ran his fingers over the beautiful book.

It was an older print, expertly kept and in almost pristine condition. Ludwig clearly took good care of it. Ludwig clearly was one of the most perfect people around.

"I was too much of a coward to tell you anything when you asked for my help... I was scared you wouldn't like me, so I didn't say anything. But I couldn't _not_ turn up... I'm sorry for having been too chicken to say anything." He finished with a whisper, seeing how his voice had slowly lost volume as he had spoken.

Tense silence fell over them, threatening to suffocate the terrified Dane.

A large hand appeared on the cover of the book, just above his own fingers, covering the title of the book. He almost jumped when he felt another hand covering the one he had beneath the book, pleasant warmth immediately covering it.

He looked up with wide eyes and found Ludwig smiling softly down at him.

"There's no need to be sorry." His eyes were fond, kind, and accepting. "It... It took up a lot of courage for me to ask for your help. I can only imagine how much I must have surprised you with that... I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"Y-yeah... It came out of left field..." He chuckled awkwardly, then looked down at their hands on the book. "Would you like this book back?"

" _Ja_. Eventually." Ludwig's cheeks seemed to brighten beneath the subtle light around them, "But... Did you finish it so quickly?"

"Nah. I read it once, but never finished it." Matthias blurted out before he could stop himself, then felt his face redden even further when Ludwig quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Never finished it?"

"I... Uh... Kind of refuse to acknowledge Fíli, Kíli, and Thorin's deaths at the end..." He explained lamely, looking away from the German's gaze.

He heard a small puff of exhaled breath, "Th-That is a relief... I-I mean..." Matthias looked at Ludwig, only to find him looking away from him as well, eyes glued to a streetlight to their left. "I have not finished the book... Completely... Either."

Neither of them had ever managed to finish this book.

Ludwig was perfect, wasn't he?

"I watched the movies before I read the book." He prodded, to which Ludwig nodded.

"I got my first C on the test I took in school. I refused to find out about the deaths... I didn't even know _who_ died; just that someone would."

"Oh no!" Matthias jumped, grabbing at Ludwig's hand before he could stop himself. "Did I spoil it for you? I'm sorry!"

Were his eyes fooling him? Or was Ludwig's whole face completely red? He could _feel_ how tense his arm was... But the lack of proper lighting wasn't really letting him see if the other man was so flustered.

"N-not at a-all! Movies... I-I mean, I _vatched zhe_... _zhe_ films!" Ludwig lifted his free hand to cover his face, groaned softly, and chanced a peek at Matthias. "I... I am sorry for being so flustered." His accent became thicker; adorably so.

Matthias couldn't stop himself from smiling broadly.

His heart waas beating so fast that it felt as if it were about to pop out of his chest at any moment. He was so warm inside he may just burst with spontaneous combustion at any moment. And he was kind of dizzy because of just how happy he was with just being able to hold Ludwig's hand.

"No need to apologize. I'm pretty nervous too."

Ludwig slowly pulled down his hand from his face, allowing Matthias to see it completely, and soon enough they were both grinning like fools.

"You know..." Matthias began, "I'm sure we could read the book together. Make each other finally finish it."

" _Togezher_?"

"Mm-hmm."

Ludwig looked down at their still joined hands, then glanced down at the book in Matthias' other hands.

" _Ja_. I _vould_ like _zhat_."

Nothing could make him stop smiling. Not after how well this meeting had gone.

~..~..~

There will be one more chapter! An epilogue, of sorts, just to wrap everything up.

Hope you all liked this! Please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter.


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